We're just about three months away from the 2012 NFL Draft, which means it's time for the first edition of my "Hot 100." This isn't necessarily how I think the draft will unfold, but rather the 100 best prospects heading into April.

This is only the beginning. Plenty will change after the NFL Scouting Combine and pro days get under way. For now, though, this is how I list the best players in the country.

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
With a 71.3 completion percentage, 10,043 total yards and 80 touchdown passes, this kid is the complete package.

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
There's a reason for the hype. Luck very well might be the most NFL-ready player at his position over the past five or six drafts.

2. Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Kalil has quite the NFL bloodline. His father, Frank, played several seasons in the league and his brother, Matt, is currently a standout with the Panthers. The younger Kalil is one of the better USC linemen over the past five or six years.

3. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
Griffin has recently become everyone's darling, in part because of Cam Newton's rookie success. The idea that RG3 could be the next Newton has elevated his evaluation process.

4. Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
Coples has great pass-rush ability, but he has to learn to play hard every down.

5. Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Claiborne is probably the best cover corner in draft. Combine his great coverage ability with his great kick-return ability and his value doubles.

6. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Richardson played at the same high school as Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, but might have more ability and speed than Smith did at the same point. Football is important to Richardson, but family is more important, which should go over well in interviews.

7. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
A broken foot will prevent Tannehill from working out until late March, but no QB prospect has progressed further since September. He hasn't started many games at QB after beginning his career at Texas A&M as a receiver, but he's believed to be the only signal-caller in college football history to beat Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska in a season, which he accomplished in 2010. He also suffered from 64 drops by his receivers in his senior season.

8. Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Reiff was a multi-sport high school phenom in South Dakota, highlighted by a 130-1 career wrestling record.

9. Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama
A product of Nick Saban's Alabama system, Upshaw is a very talented LB who can play on all three downs.

10. Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
Brockers is a defensive tackle, not a defensive end, but he has the talent and athleticism to be a Jason Pierre-Paul-type player.

11. Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
Ingram is a very good pass rusher who could have entered the draft last season, but helped his draft stock by staying in school.

12. Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
Kuechly doesn't have outstanding speed, but good recognition helped him lead Boston College in tackles for three seasons.

13. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Blackmon has better tools than Michael Crabtree when the latter was coming out of Texas Tech. If Blackmon runs well at the combine, he can move up the board.

14. David DeCastro, G, Stanford
As a four-year player at Stanford, DeCastro was very good guard who can also play center.

15. Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
Jenkins transferred from Florida, where he had off-field issues. But his excellent cover skills will make him an interesting prospect.

16. Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
Jeffery wasn't as good in 2011 as he was in 2010. He has added some weight, which is a concern, but he has the potential to be a good player if he sheds some pounds.

17. Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Teams want tall corners and Kirkpatrick fits the bill. He's over 6-foot-1 and has good technique taught to him by Nick Saban's Alabama staff.

18. Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
Martin has shown good footwork and seems suited to play left tackle in the NFL.

19. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Floyd is a tall WR who ran into a bit of offseason trouble at Notre Dame. However, his ranking could fluctuate depending on how well he runs.

20a. Devon Still, DT, Penn State
Still has a respectable NFL pedigree as the cousin of former NFL defensive end Art Still and former Steelers LB Levon Kirkland. The younger Still had a very good senior year.

20b. Rueben Randle, WR, LSU
I talked to Randle about the possibility of coming to New York in April for the draft. He chuckled and reminded me I hadn't initially listed him in my Hot 100 and wondered if I had a mistake by asking if he'd like to come. But Randle definitely deserves to be on this list because of his tremendous upside and his size as a vertical threat.

21. Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State
Worthy has good size and lots of ability, but the knock on him is that he doesn't go all out every play.

22. Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State
Burfict was the most highly recruited player ever to land at ASU. However, his anger management issues often overshadowed his outstanding ability.

23. Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina
Brown has better ability than his ranking shows, but is hurt in a draft where LBs aren't as coveted as DLs and OLs.

24. Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
Wright has great ability, especially when it comes to catching long balls, as he did frequently at Baylor. In addition to being a deep threat, Wright can be a weapon across the middle.

25. Nick Perry, DE, USC
Perry is a dual-position guy who has lots of upside. He can play with his hand on ground or could potentially play in space in a 3-4 defense.

With the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine in the books, I can unveil my latest edition of the Hot 100. While a number of players saw their draft stock rise or fall due to their performance in Indianapolis, there wasn't drastic change near the top of the list from my pre-combine installment. Of course, there will be more movement in the coming weeks as colleges have their pro days.

So here are my updated rankings of the top 100 prospects for the 2012 NFL Draft (previous rank in parentheses):

1. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford (1)
Believe it or not, Luck actually surprised scouts at the combine by running faster and jumping higher than most expected. He went a long way toward fully cementing his status as the top pick in the draft.

2. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor (3)
No one was surprised when Griffin posted a blazing 4.41 40 in Indianapolis, but scouts were struck by his self confidence and poise. He has the ability to be a very special player in this league.

3. Matt Kalil, OT, USC (2)
It's hard to imagine a player who weighs 306 pounds looking thin, but Kalil is built like a 260-pound tight end. He has an impressive frame and could still add weight.

4. Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina (4)
Coples is an extremely athletic player, but it's his strength that opened some eyes after his performance on the bench press (25 reps).

5. Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU (5)
Claiborne has long arms and has a very smooth all-around game. He didn't run as fast as scouts expected, but he still has the ability to turn and run with NFL receivers.

6. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama (6)
Recent surgery prevented Richardson from working out, but his skill set still makes him highly coveted. He's a compact back with good hands and solid pass-protection ability.

7. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M (7)
After spending his high school career averaging just 10 pass attempts per game and only starting one full season at Texas A&M, Tannehill's learning curve might be steeper than most other QBs in the draft. Don't be fooled, though -- he has plenty of ability.

8. Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa (8)
At 313 pounds, Reiff is a mobile lineman with good speed and athleticism. He's also a pretty tough guy, which could stem in part from an outstanding career as a high school wrestler.

9. Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama (17)
Kirkpatrick's arms might not be as long as some other CBs in the draft at 30 5/8 inches, but he has very good coverage skills and his height (6-foot-2) makes him hard to throw over.

10. Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina (11)
Ingram significantly improved his stock by staying in school another year. He also helped himself with his quickness and athleticism. In linebacker drills, his break on the ball was almost like that of a wide receiver.

11. Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College (12)
Kuechly's outstanding recognition -- something that can't be taught -- helped him make a ton of tackles in college. He has good upper-body strength, posting 27 reps in the bench press.

12. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State (13)
A tweaked hamstring stopped Blackmon from running at the combine, but he still displayed great hands and the strength to get inside on slant routes. If he runs well at his pro day, his stock should go up.

13. Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis (51)
Everyone marveled at the 346-pounder's time in the 40 (4.98), and he has the ability to be an All-Pro for years in the NFL. But first he needs to silence the critics who say he doesn't go hard on every play.

14. David DeCastro, OG, Stanford (14)
DeCastro looks like a prototypical interior lineman. With good strength and an ability to pull from the guard spot, he has reminded some of stalwart Vikings and Seahwaks guard Steve Hutchinson.

15. Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama (15)
Off-field issues aside, Jenkins might be the smoothest of the top DB prospects. He has good speed and long arms for a player of his size (5-10).

16. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame (19)
Floyd exceeded expectations with a 4.47 in the 40. He also showed better-than-expected hands in the WR drills.

17. Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama (9)
Upshaw left Indianapolis as an enigma. Will he fit better as an outside linebacker or defensive end? Either way, he'll need to run well at his pro day if he wants to move up draft boards.

18. Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina (23)
Brown is a tremendous athlete who posted an amazing 40 time (4.50) for a 244-pound specimen. His ability to make plays in space should make him a hot commodity in the draft.

19. Devon Still, DT, Penn State (20)
While Still didn't run as fast as some might have liked (5.08 40), his strength and his long arms could make him a good interior lineman.

20. Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford (18)
Martin is a technically sound offensive lineman. But he's also looked at as a finesse player and some scouts would like to see him be more aggressive at the next level.

21. Michael Brockers, DT, LSU (10)
Brockers has very good upper-body strength and although he ran a relatively slow 40 (5.36), he fits the mold of a prototypical DL and could be a solid pass rusher.

22. Rueben Randle, WR, LSU (20)
Randle has sleeper potential in the draft. He was a big-play guy in college, reads the ball well and displayed tremendous hands in Indy.

23. Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia (29)
Glenn is in better shape than he appeared at the combine. He's light on feet, has good movement and could earn a chance to play left tackle in the NFL.

24. Nick Perry, DE, USC (25)
Perry projects as a solid NFL pass rusher who is more suited to play with his hand on the ground. He is quick with a good first step and above-average strength.

25. Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State (30)
Cox is a very good athlete who brings a good effort on every play. He doesn't project as an every down player, but can be a steady pass rusher.

Interesting that Gil still has Burfict rated ahead of Hightower even after that awful combine.

Steelersrock151

03-08-2012, 07:49 PM

Got to agree with you Ruthless. Burflict has dropped faster than a rock in just about everyone else's rankings. And its not just because of the combine. That just made people go back and look at his game film. And that shows just how bad he really can be.